How much do you do for kids birthday?

[dorotheasc]

I am stepmum to a SD turning 8 and have a 6 month old baby with my DH. This will be the first year SD is with us on her actual birthday so I'd like to make it as special as we can. From what DH has said mum isn't making any special effort sadly on her day having her.

SD is reserved so doesn't want a party but just a couple of friends for maybe bowling or cinema and dinner. Presents are arranged. We were going to get a supermarket cake and blow up some balloons. Is that enough? What are the expectations of kids nowadays?

That sounds amazing. My kids would love that. Hope she has a great day!

Sounds perfect.

That sounds great. We usually get our kids a helium balloon featuring a thing they're into, and make sure any meals are their favourite things - a slightly different breakfast always sets the day off well.

Similar here. Cake/helium balloon and decorations around whatever theme and then pancakes or something for breakfast.

Gifts, make sure she has something nice to wear to her party too.

It’s lovely that you want to make sure your SD has a great day.

Sounds lovely! Add in pancakes for breakfast 😁

I always think it’s lovely for kids to come down on the morning of their birthday and find balloons or decorations. Shows that you’ve put the effort in for that surprise while they’ve been asleep. Definitely one of my nice childhood memories.

Nice time to start a tradition if you want to. We had a Happy Birthday banner which came out for everyone’s birthday - I felt very grown up when I was old enough to think of sorting it for my mum’s birthday!

How lovely!
I'd add maybe an additional gift at bedtime to round off the day- a book wrapped up that one of you can start reading with her that night.

Lots of great ideas here. My kids love coming down to ballons, birthday banner and special breakfast (pancakes w fruit and cream and sprinkles). Get lots of balloons and one helium one. My DD also loves a birthday badge.

I time my SDs haircuts so she is due a haircut around her birthday so she gets a wee pamper the morning of her birthday or her party.

When my DSC were younger their mum tended to throw the big class party so we would often do a smaller birthday event (a sleepover, bowling, water world etc), they'd always get pressies, birthday cake, decorations etc - basically the same as I would (and now do, do for my DD). If we didn't have them for their birthday we would have a second birthday for them the next time they were with us.

Thank you all for the reassurance! Haircut is actually booked the day before and I will make sure we have pancakes that morning!

I know it's probably the last thing you feel like doing with a baby but if you or DH could make the cake for SD, that would be really sweet. If not, it all sounds lovely.

Maybe a small gift bag for each child coming to the cinema - a book or water bottle.

Ooh yes, I'd love to bake a cake but neither of us are much of a baker at all. Does anyone have any fool proof cake recipes they can recommend?

You can buy a store bought cake and add some decorations of your own to make it themed I something she would like. ..I put some pay patrol pups on a cake for my son last year to make his paw patrol cake and he was delighted. That's only if you want to I think whe would also be happy with a shop cake. I love a Colin.

The other stuff sounds great as well, we did similar for DSS birthday when he was 8, took a couple friends to a trampoline park then back to ours for some pizza and cake. He loved it. I think as they get older these smaller parties more aligned to their interests are the norm.

Your ideas are lovely!

We always decorate the living room the night before and have a special breakfast which the birthday child decides on and we all have (could be bacon butties/waffles/pain au chocolate etc).

I always ask the kids what sort of cake they like and we scour pinterest and then DH or I do our best to recreate!!

Taking a couple of friends out sounds like a lovely idea - at 8 I'd ask her what she wants to do. Make sure it's your husband who leads on the work involved though, you have a baby and most women end up trying to do it all - let him decide how much he's prepared to do for his daughter and go from there.

Enjoy her day xx